Caramel Covered Popcorn, Peanuts and Chex - It's a Circus in Your Mouth!

Once upon a time, I had a friend who slaved over her stove each holiday season to make vats of caramel covered popcorn. She'd start in the morning and finish when the sky just began darkening. Then, she'd scoop the crunchy mixture into tupperware containers and deliver them. I still remember the ecstasy of that first bite. Which brings me to the present. There are two things I'm loving this season - chex mix and caramel covered popcorn. This recipe marries the two together into a crunchy, buttery confection flavored with vanilla and caramel. The peanuts and wheat chex add texture and crunch. Have I sold you yet? Seriously, it's a caramel circus in your mouth. Who can resist the magic of crunching into freshly popped caramel covered popcorn made without high fructose corn syrup?

So, grab some cookie tins, mason jars, treat boxes or treat bags and get popping! If giving to older children and adults, throw a couple plastic rings into the finished product for flare if you like.

Pop the popcorn. Scoop popcorn into a heat safe bowl, add the nuts and wheat chex.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the brown sugar, clip on a candy thermometer and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a bowl.

Keep bowling until the mixture reaches approximately 235 degrees.

Take off the heat, add vanilla, salt and baking soda.

In a heat safe bowl, mix the caramel mixture into the popcorn mixture.

Divide amongst 2 parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for 20 minutes, turning once. 

Cool completely then pack up for gifting or eat!

TIPS:

• Have everything out before you start. The caramel cools and lumps together quickly
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper before you start
• To separate unpopped popcorn kernels from the popped, ladle the corn from your pot into a large heat safe bowl that you'll eventually use to toss the caramel and other goodies together
• Make sure to use heat safe bowls and spatulas
• Make sure to watch the caramel/corn mixture in the oven and turn/stir the mixture so it doesn't burn
• Stores well in a sealed bag for up to one week

THE RECIPE:

Ingredients:
3 T unpopped corn kernels 
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups lightly salted peanuts
1 cup wheat chex
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Getting Started

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly oil the baking sheets. Heat 1 T of oil and 1 kernel of unpopped corn over medium heat in a large soup pot (5 quarts) that has a  lid. Once the kernel has popped, remove it, add your corn kernels. Remove from heat and shake the bottom of the pan to mix the corn and oil together and count 30 seconds. Return to heat (medium) and pop the corn, shaking the pot from time to time. Once the popping slows to several seconds between popping, remove from the heat. Sort the kernels from the popped corn by scooping into a large bowl heat safe bowl. Add peanuts and wheat chex. No need to stir.

The Sauce:

Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar until its moistened. Increase the heat to medium-high, clip on a candy thermometer and bring to a boil. Don't stir. Once boiling, cook for 3-5 minutes (230-240 degrees). The secret to the caramel is patience. It takes a while to come up to temperature. Once at the right temperature, remove from the heat and add vanilla, salt, baking soda and salt. It's going to foam up. That's just the baking powder and it's normal. Stir, using a heat safe spatula until everything is incorporated and well blended. Drizzle the caramel onto the corn mixture and toss quickly to coat all your corn. Divide the mixture onto the 2 baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Then stir/toss, rotate pans in oven and bake another 10. Cool completely and break apart the corn into bite sized pieces. Then, either eat the whole thing up or be generous and gift it out.